Metalworking typically requires surface finishing such as buffing, polishing, deburring, grinding and satin finishing. Such finishing steps were traditionally performed manually. More recently, however, automated processing replaced most manual operations. As compared to manual finishing, automated finishing provides greater efficiency, precision, and safety.
In automated finishing, it is desirable to perform as many process steps as possible at a single location. This reduces the need to transport parts from one station to another, minimizes required floor space for equipment and inventory, and increases efficiency. One exemplary apparatus for increasing automated process capacity is a stacked wheel head assembly.
In known stacked head assemblies, two rotating wheels are arranged one over another in a spaced apart stacked configuration. This design enables a robot arm to position a part against one wheel for an initial finishing operation and then to move the part to a second wheel for a subsequent operation. Since the wheels are stacked, the amount of floor space required for the two steps is minimized. Also, the robot need only minimally move to transport the part from the first wheel to the second wheel.
While such stacked head assemblies provide great advantages, there is still room for improvement in the art. For example, it would be desirable to provide a three or more head design so that a third or more process steps could be implemented within the same amount of floor space as the two head design. An important consideration in such a design, however, is to ensure that the robot can reach each of the wheels without interference. Otherwise, the part cannot be properly finished.